ESTEVAN - It was a night of ceremony, tributes and socializing at an RCMP Regimental Ball at the Beefeater Plaza in Estevan on Saturday.
The Estevan, Carlyle and Carnduff RCMP detachments teamed up to host the event, which attracted nearly 150 people. RCMP officers from the southeast and elsewhere in the province were joined by people from the community.
Staff-Sgt. Steven Ross with the Estevan RCMP said they had people from at least six different RCMP detachments and south district management. Also present were those from the Estevan Police Service, other law enforcement agencies, first responders, municipal officials and White Bear First Nation Chief Annette Lonechild.
The regimental ball featured a number of elements unique to the event. The formal portion began with the head table being piped in and the performance of O Canada by Teagan Littlechief. Then the host for the evening, RCMP Chief Superintendent Tyler Bates, who is the commander for the RCMP’s South District and the highest-ranking member in attendance – paid the piper with scotch.
Staff-Sgt. Deneen Woodrow, who was the MC, gave a brief history of the force, which was followed by regimental traditions such as the ceremony to honour fallen comrades, a blessing of the meal, the first plate being served by the highest-ranking member to the most junior member in attendance, a toast to the king, a toast to the force and Bates’ remarks. The formal part of the evening closed with the piping out of the head table.
“With the formal portion, there are some specific guidelines that we have to follow for it,” said Ross. “There are a few regimental events that we do. This one’s a regimental ball, because that allows members of the public to attend.”
One table was empty during the night to honour fallen officers from the force who died in the line of duty. Ross noted it’s particularly meaningful after the death of five officers in the past few weeks.
There were also displays of Indigenous art and RCMP artefacts.
The informal portion of the evening featured music by the Chris Henderson Band. Henderson and Littlechief teamed up for a duet at one point.
The money raised through the ball will be directed towards Southeast Regional Victim Services. Ross said they don’t know how much money was raised, but they expect it will be approximately $5,000. The event received excellent support from corporate sponsors, including SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskTel, SGI and Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority.
Ross said Victim Services was selected for their efforts to help people throughout the southeast.
“They’re a partner agency for us and they do provide a lot of support in the communities, support for victims, whether it’s people providing statements or they connect people with support services, or they provide support for people testifying in court,” said Ross.
It marked the first time in a couple of years that the RCMP has been able to gather and raise money, and Ross was pleased with the night as a whole.
